365 Days of Rejected Proposal: CEO's Rebellious Pet-Chapter 144: Really, Truly Deeply in Love

Zinnia Lawrence stared blankly at Timothy Cohen, who was standing at the door. A wave of deep disappointment washed over her, followed by a surge of mortification so intense she wanted to claw a hole in the floor big enough to bury Jenson Forrest.

"Assistant Cohen... Ahem, why is it you? Um, sorry about just now..." Zinnia apologized, her brow furrowing slightly.

This was her and Jenson Forrest’s bedroom. For Timothy Cohen to barge in without so much as a knock was both impolite and incredibly strange.

The next second, Timothy’s words explained his abnormal behavior. "Madam, the President was attacked yesterday. He was gravely injured and spent all night in emergency surgery. They’ve just moved him to the ICU. You have to go see him now. I’m afraid if you’re too late, you might not get to see him one last time..."

Timothy Cohen had been exiled by Jenson Forrest to play "women’s director" for a day, enduring the stares of Stellar’s employees until he was on the verge of a complete breakdown. All he wanted was for the President to win his wife back so his boss’s mental state could finally stabilize. To that end, he exaggerated dramatically, even biting the tip of his tongue to squeeze out a few tears.

Zinnia stared at him, her mind going blank for a moment as her body froze. But she quickly recovered, a cold sneer playing on her lips. "Assistant Cohen, what new trick is Jenson trying to pull now? You two are in cahoots, aren’t you? Ha! The law and order in this country are excellent, and this is Veridia! How could Jenson Forrest possibly be attacked so easily?"

Impossible! Jenson is the one who puts people in their graves, not the other way around. If something had really happened to him, wouldn’t Veridia be in an uproar? How could everything be this quiet? He must have spent the night with Crystal Sutton again. He used to be so brazen about spending time with his ’first love,’ so why is he being secretive now? I can’t panic. I absolutely cannot believe this.

Seeing the anger and coldness on Zinnia’s face, Timothy silently mourned for his boss for two seconds. "Madam, it’s all true. If you don’t believe me, please watch this video."

Timothy stepped forward and handed his phone to Zinnia.

"On his way home from work yesterday, the President remembered that you used to love the rose pastries and sweet steamed custard from Four Seasons Patisserie. He made a detour to buy them for you himself, but right after he left the shop, he was..."

While Timothy was still speaking, Zinnia had already taken the phone and started the video. It seemed to have been filmed unintentionally from across the street, and the camera was constantly shaking. But Zinnia’s eyes instantly found the tall, slender figure of a man carrying a pastry box as he walked out of Four Seasons Patisserie.

He was still wearing the same dark gray suit he had left home in yesterday. His head was lowered, as if he were adjusting the ribbon on the box. 𝒇𝒓𝙚𝒆𝔀𝓮𝓫𝒏𝓸𝙫𝓮𝓵.𝓬𝙤𝙢

Just then, a woman in a coat suddenly bumped into him. Jenson’s tall frame visibly stiffened. He abruptly shoved the woman away, but the force sent him stumbling back several steps. The woman he’d pushed off then raised her hand again and lunged toward him. The blade in her hand flashed with a cold light.

Screams erupted from the surrounding crowd. The bodyguards were alerted and swiftly pinned the woman to the ground. The man, however, crumpled to one knee, clutching his abdomen. His other hand still held tightly to the pastry box.

The video ended abruptly. Zinnia’s face had gone deathly pale. She swayed, and the phone slipped from her grasp, clattering to the floor.

Jenson was really stabbed! But how could he be dying? There are still so many things I need to tell him. I even argued with him before he left the house yesterday. This can’t be happening!

Zinnia spun around and bolted outside, her slippers barely on her feet. It was Aunt Kramer and Timothy Cohen who ran after her, draping a thick coat over her shoulders.

On the way to the hospital, Zinnia was beside herself with worry, her face ashen. The image of Jenson kneeling on the ground, clutching his stomach as crimson blood seeped through his fingers, flashed in her mind over and over again. The sound of screams echoed in her ears.

Taking a deep breath, Zinnia forced herself to calm down and asked Timothy Cohen in a trembling voice, "Who on earth was that madwoman? Has she been taken to the police station?"

"About this... I think it’s best if you ask the President yourself later," Timothy Cohen said, hesitating.

Zinnia increasingly felt he was hiding something. "What exactly happened? If you won’t tell me, does this have something to do with me?"

Timothy looked troubled, but then he gritted his teeth and nodded. "Madam, do you remember Kane Donovan?"

Of course, Zinnia remembered. That bastard had tried to assault her. She’d injured him, and he later got what he deserved when he was attacked and castrated during his hospitalization, an incident that even made the society pages. When she saw the news at the time, she had even called Jenson to probe if he had arranged it. Jenson had feigned complete ignorance, so she hadn’t thought much more of it.

Now, hearing Timothy suddenly mention his name, Zinnia’s already pale face seemed even more fragile. She asked tremulously, "Was Kane Donovan’s incident... really Jenson’s doing? What is that madwoman’s relationship to Kane Donovan?"

Timothy sighed. "To be honest with you, Madam, Kane Donovan committed suicide in prison last month. The woman who stabbed the President is Kane Donovan’s mother, Claire Cohen. Kane was her only child. After the incident, his despicable actions ruined the Donovan family’s reputation, and their business plummeted. Kane’s father divorced Claire to marry his mistress, even bringing home an illegitimate child. Claire Cohen was devastated. To make matters worse, she was recently diagnosed with late-stage pancreatic cancer. Realizing she wasn’t going to live much longer, she decided to risk everything to avenge her son..."

Zinnia’s hands twisted together as she listened. Her body went limp, all her strength draining away as she slumped against the seatback. She had never imagined that Jenson was behind what happened to Kane Donovan. And now he was suffering this bloody retaliation, all because of that monster who had brought it upon himself.

"It’s my fault... It’s all because of me..." Zinnia murmured, her eyes filling with tears.

Seeing her state, Timothy Cohen quickly interjected with righteous indignation. "Madam, please don’t think like that! The President wouldn’t want you to think that way either. You were the victim, not the perpetrator. It was Claire Cohen who raised a depraved son who harmed so many girls and their families. Kane Donovan’s sentence was well-deserved. For her to seek revenge on the President instead of reflecting on her own failures as a mother... well, it just shows that the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree!"

However, Zinnia didn’t hear a word he said. She was consumed by guilt and worry, remembering all the awful things she had said to Jenson on the phone. The unease, guilt, and sorrow wound around her heart like tightening vines, leaving her breathless.

A sharp pain bloomed in her lower abdomen, and Zinnia bent over slightly, pressing a hand against it. Coco, are you blaming Mommy too? Are you worried about Daddy as well? Is that it?

Upon reaching the hospital, Zinnia followed Timothy Cohen to the ICU. Before they could even ask if they could go in, a doctor and nurse emerged from the room, both wearing solemn expressions.

Zinnia immediately rushed forward and grabbed the doctor’s arm. "Doctor, is the patient out of danger?"

"Are you the family? Why are you only here now!" the doctor exclaimed with a frown, then sighed. "I’m sorry, we did everything we could. The patient just passed away. It was peaceful, all things considered. You may go in to pay your last respects."

Zinnia felt the world spin as she let go of the doctor’s arm. The doctor and nurse walked away, and Zinnia could see into the ward. The figure on the hospital bed was covered from head to toe by a white sheet, lying perfectly still.

Zinnia wanted to step forward, but her body was utterly devoid of strength. "No, I don’t believe it... This can’t be happening..."

She hadn’t even told him they were having a baby. She hadn’t even told him that she really, truly loved him. How could it all end just like this?

Zinnia stiffly lifted a foot, but it felt like stepping on a cloud. Her vision went black as she fell backward.

She was caught by a familiar pair of arms, and a large hand covered her eyes. A low, hoarse voice spoke from above her.

"Why are you crying?"